Slightly more than 100 pages into War and Peace and I can’t believe I didn’t have the guts to pick up this book before. It’s bulk scared me. But man, is it a fast read. I needn’t have been scared, it’s such fun I feel like I want to lock myself in a room with it and only come out to make tea. But alas, that’s unlikely. I have to go to that wretched weight work out soon and then we might go see Toy Story 3 or at least I’d like to if we can pull it off.

In any case, I decided drinking something with the word Russian in its name would at least keep me feeling like I’m locked in the room even if I’m not. In the sample packet this one smells nice and smoky, as I’d anticipated, very much like the H&S straight lapsang with the volume turned down by a half to two thirds.

After steeping its aroma is a bit milder. I wonder if Keemun is one of the four teas in here? Maybe Ceylon as well? The underlying tea has a sort of sweet, woody smell to it with a bit of smoke.

There’s a mild smokiness in the flavor, which is actually quite nice, and there is also some gentle woody flavor. I could see this one being a nice morning tea. Although I haven’t tasted it in a while, this one is making me think of Upton’s Baker Street Blend but without the perkiness. If there is darjeeling in this, I can’t tell. This one has a mildly smoky flavor that would make a nice segue into smoky teas for someone interested in giving them a try but not yet up for the very tarry, piney strength of the more intense lapsangs.

This is going to make it into my Russian run off, for sure.

Preparation

You are really beginning to make me curious about that book! I’ve thought about it before myself but I too was scared by the size of it. And it’s always that one that people use as an example for a really long book. I’m not always a very fast reader so I’ve got two fairly big ones to get through first, but I might give it a go afterwards.

@Angrboda, yeah, I know. My edition is about 1500 pages long in paperback, but if the rest goes as fast it won’t take that long to read. It’s surprisingly humorous; very interesting commentary on the Russian upper class in the early 1800s. There was one line that cracked me up, something along the lines of the way one of the characters talked you couldn’t tell whether he was really brilliant or a total idiot. I have known people like that!

People who liked this

Comments

You are really beginning to make me curious about that book! I’ve thought about it before myself but I too was scared by the size of it. And it’s always that one that people use as an example for a really long book. I’m not always a very fast reader so I’ve got two fairly big ones to get through first, but I might give it a go afterwards.

@Angrboda, yeah, I know. My edition is about 1500 pages long in paperback, but if the rest goes as fast it won’t take that long to read. It’s surprisingly humorous; very interesting commentary on the Russian upper class in the early 1800s. There was one line that cracked me up, something along the lines of the way one of the characters talked you couldn’t tell whether he was really brilliant or a total idiot. I have known people like that!

Profile

Bio

I’ve updated this bio as it’s been a couple of years since I “started getting into” tea. It’s now more accurate to say that I was obsessed with tea for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it, and I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

Personal biases: I much prefer to drink tea without additives such as milk and sugar. If a tea needs additives to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’m going to rate it high. The exception is chai, which I make on the stove top using a recipe I found here on Steepster. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs into the harder stuff, but once I learned how to make a decent cup of tea they became far less appealing to me. That said, I’m not entirely a purist, and I enjoy a good flavored tea, particularly flavored blacks.

I like all kinds of tea depending on time of day, mood, and the amount of time I have to pay attention to preparation.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. I’m revising them slightly to make them less granular as I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas against other similar versions. So I rate Earl Greys, for example, against other Earl Greys, rather than against all teas. If something rates very high with me, though, it probably means it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is; will keep this stocked until the cows come home

90-94 First rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Excellent; likely to become a favorite, will likely buy more

70-79 Very good; would enjoy again, might buy again if in the mood for this particular one or a better, similar version not available